r/galapagos

Thinking of studying abroad for a semester in Ecuador, It'd be about 2 months in Quito, 2 months on San Cristobal in the Galapagos. Can someone tell me how the internet is? I'm extremely worried about losing contact with friends and family for such an extended period of time, and also about getting schoolwork done. Does mobile data work okay? Any recommendations are appreciated!

My wife and I (38) are in the early stages of planning a trip to the Galapagos with my in-laws, who are in their 70s but generally active. We are trying to figure out which ship/itinerary would be best for us, but I feel a bit at a loss, since cruising is not generally our style and I’m a bit out of my depth.

About us:

— We all love nature and wildlife, and 3/4 of us are pretty serious amateur photographers
— We don’t need super high-end luxury, but we don’t want bunk beds either. My in-laws are pretty classy and like a certain level of comfort, especially given their age (and my MIL has some knee issues)
— My in-laws are birders and are excited about seeing some interesting bird life
— I love the ocean and want to spend as much time in it as possible. I’m a scuba diver and while I know that dive boats and naturalist boats are separate and you can’t really dive on a non-dive liveaboard, I’d like to see as many ocean animals as possible
— My wife does not love the ocean, so we’re hoping to find a company that offers both land-based activities and water-based ones
— We strongly prefer a small ship to a bigger one, and want a ship that doesn’t stop to pick up other passengers for shorter itineraries. I’m not sure yet if we’d be looking to do a 7 night cruise or a 14 night one.
— My wife is a teacher, so our options for timing are limited to the summer months, and winter break. And because she’s a teacher, we’d probably prefer a cruise that is adults-only (or at least primarily) if that is an option

Any recommendations? I’m grateful for any assistance!

i remember we used to play fortnite 4-5 years ago(i don't have that account anymore) on daily basis but suddenly i got busy with my studies and so did he and we stopped playing but we exchanged messages every once in some months but one day on news i saw about the armed gang riots happening in ecuador it was 2024 i think , i asked him what's happening there and he replied
"hey brother how is everything? In the years since I connected here and I stopped playing because of my studies, here in Ecuador it is very dangerous, the mafias are planting bombs and they are having confrontations in the streets of all of Ecuador with the armed forces of my country. I am very afraid..." (this msg is from 14th jan 2024)
i replied to this message wishing him safe future and other things but he didn't replied , after a year i texted him back again (as i don't use discord much and we only had discord as our connection)
but he still didn't replied after that i again replied him yesterday and now i'm actually worried for his safety is there any way i can reach out to him
we were both same age i think right now he should be 19 yo , he told me his mom is from USA and dad from Ecuador and he lives in Galapagos(santa cruz island) he also said in 5-6 years he will going to live in USA(msg from june 2022)

we was like one of the most kind person i've ever met on internet his username on discord was like dxblessed_505 if it's of any help

I’m considering the Galapagos Horizon (16 person boat) for an April sailing. I get motion sickness (carsick on buses if the road is windy, ok on straighter roads, okay on large cruise ships, avoid rough water in small boats). If you’ve sailed the Horizon and have similar motion sensitivity, how did you do? Did you miss any excursions because of seasickness? I really want to go but don’t want to be miserable.

Every guide says "warm season" and "cool season" like that settles it, but that's not really the useful split. What actually shapes a trip is water temperature and visibility, because that determines what you'll be snorkeling with and how comfortable it is.

From roughly December through May, the water warms up, the skies are mostly clear and blue, and you get the calmest seas. This is when the marine iguanas are most active and when you'll see the most colorful landscape shots. It's also when a wetsuit is optional for most snorkelers.

From June through November, the Humboldt Current kicks in. Water temps drop, you'll want at least a 3mm wetsuit, and the skies get that grey "garua" mist that photographers either love or hate. But this is also the richest wildlife window. Nutrient-rich water means more plankton, which means whale sharks, more penguins active in the water, and noticeably more feeding activity across the board.

Neither one is objectively better, it depends what you're optimizing for. People chasing photos of blue skies and calm snorkeling go for the first window. People who care more about big marine life encounters and don't mind grey skies go for the second.

We actually put together a full month-by-month breakdown a while back since this question comes up constantly, happy to dig it up if anyone wants the link. Otherwise happy to just answer here based on what you're prioritizing.

I'd love to hear from anyone who traveled on the Samba as a solo traveler and shared a cabin with a stranger.

I generally like having my own space when I travel (for example, I don't stay in hostels for that reason), but the Samba's itinerary and reviews are making me seriously consider making an exception.

How did it feel? Did sharing a cabin end up being a non-issue because you were so busy and only there to sleep? Or did you find yourself wishing you'd had your own space to decompress after long days?

Looking back, would you do it again, or would you pay extra for a private cabin if you had the option?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who were initially hesitant about sharing but decided to do it anyway. Thanks for any insights!

There were no recent posts about eSims that I saw so for other people who are planning I just wanted to say the Airalo Latin America eSim worked fine for the places I went (Quito, Balts, Santa Cruz, San Cristobol). Note the Ecuador selection clearly says it won't work in Galapagos.

I chose 5GB for a weeklong trip and still had over 1GB left at the end. (I made sure to turn on Low Data Mode to ensure it wasn't automatically backing up photos etc to iCloud over cellular and, of course, used Wifi at hotels or wherever available).

good evening everyone! hope youre doing well. thanks for checking out my post. i always do a really big birthday trip and this year im doing peru, ecuador, and the galapagos! i didn't plan much of anything very well but flights are booked so im coming either way! my friends call me mr. make-it-happen. my question is, how do i approach the galapagos? i love doing tourist stuff and while i respect that there's always a deep cut or hidden gem, im perfectly okay doing the basics! so im wondering, with my flight booked, should i head to expedia, find a hotel, and start a detailed itinerary? or just find a four day tour on viator or tripadvisor or something? i don't even know where to begin picking what i want to do and frankly i get overwhelmed easily making these types of plans! it could be a lot easier to book the tour. plus id like to believe they'd pick all the best, touristy spots for me! but if the general consensus is that i can do everything on my own with some planning, id really really appreciate some pointers and advice! thank you for reading!

I'm taking my 12 year old daughter to the Galapagos later this week. We'll be on a small cruise and plan to do a good amount of snorkeling. I understand that we can generally rent from the ships but to be safe (for my daughter), I plan to pack a wetsuit.

What's the water temp like right now and what thickness wetsuits should we expect to wear? I'm a Socal surfer (from Norcal) so i'm used to colder water. Do we need 3/2s? 4/3s? or can we get by with spring suits or no wetsuit at all?

I am a 25F planning a solo trip to the Galapagos in late August/early September this year for 1.5–2 weeks. I am an artist interested in ecology, evolution, morphology, and observation. I also have lab experience and am especially excited for any opportunity to learn from scientists, naturalists, educators, conservation practitioners, etc.

I have been saving for this trip, but am still working with a tighter budget of around $3,000 including travel (I know I probably should've started booking earlier in the year...).

I am looking for budget friendly recommendations on:

• Tours led by knowledgable naturalists or guides (especially for volcanoes/caves)
• Research stations, educational programs, workshops, or community events
• Volunteer opportunities (appropriate for short-term visitors)
• Ways to learn more deeply about species, ecology, and conservation
• Beginner diving experiences
• Any places with potential to connect with other artists/naturalists/mentors

I know this is a bit of a shorter trip, so any tips on what/where to prioritize would be helpful too. Thank you (:

We recently did a land-based trip from May 19 to June 1. Overall, I was very happy with our itinerary and wouldn’t change much! Maybe cut one day from San Cristobal and stay at Isabela longer.

Here is the breakdown of our route, daily activities, and accommodation reviews.
The Route & Logistics

Quito (3 nights): Flew in here first before heading to the islands.Santa Cruz (3 nights): Took a 7:00 AM flight from Quito. Isabela (3 nights): Took the morning ferry from Santa Cruz.San Cristóbal (4 nights): Flew directly from Isabela to San Cristóbal to save an entire day on transfers. Flew home from here.

Island-by-Island Breakdown

Santa Cruz
Day 1: Visited Los Gemelos and El Chato on the way from the airport.
Day 2: Tortuga Bay.
Day 3: Charles Darwin Research Station and Las Grietas.
Where we stayed: An Airbnb right by the entrance to the Tortuga Bay trail. It was great—clean, nicely decorated, very spacious.

Isabela
Day 1: Rented bikes and rode out to the Wall of Tears.
Day 2: Los Túneles tour (booked with Agora Tours).
Day 3: Hiked Sierra Negra (also with Agora Tours).
** **In-between spots: Visited Playa de la Concha several times and the flamingo lagoon.
Where we stayed: Casa de Marita. Right on the beach and perfectly located within easy walking distance to the pier, Concha de Perla, and the town center.

San Cristóbal
Activities: Mostly just relaxed. Spent time at Playa Mann, Playa Punta Carola, and Tijeretas
Highlands Tour: Took a taxi tour (recommended by our hotel) to El Junco Lagoon, the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, and Puerto Chino Beach.
Where we stayed: Hotel Pimampiro. The owners were absolutely amazing, but it was a bit too far up the hill for our liking. Taxis are dirt cheap at $2 per ride, but I still would have preferred to stay closer to the center.

What We Skipped (and Why)
I originally planned to do Kicker Rock and the 360° Tour, but we decided to pass on both. The waves were pretty rough during our stay, and several tours were being canceled anyway. Kicker Rock made me a bit nervous due to the open ocean conditions and strong currents. Plus, spending an entire day on a choppy boat with kids didn't sound appealing. No regrets on skipping them!
Feel free to ask any questions

Attached quick reel from Isabela (by far my favorite island!)

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1A29Dahgve/?mibextid=wwXIfr

We've just received the news (and video).

https://preview.redd.it/ml3ntx3oon9h1.png?width=990&format=png&auto=webp&s=618d1706a2878832ac9fcf8bb9fb7c5b1e5f4bab

It looks to have run into the shoreline at Academy Bay (where the town of Puerto Ayora is located). It's not clear if the ship was significantly damaged or not. But if you're booked on it in the coming weeks, it might be a good idea to reach out to your booking agent and get more info.

This lovely ship is a wonderful alternative for those who may be anxious about booking on a small ship (14-20 guests) but not keen on embarking on the largest ships allowed in Galapagos (100 guests). We've chartered it on a couple of occasions for our own "not for profit" friends trips over the past 4-5 years.

Let's hope the ship was not damaged / only had minor damage, and will be back in operation soon.

It seems like some mention longer hikes, like Eagleray Tours, while others just mention a walk. I’d like to do a longer hike on the island so I’m leaning toward Eagleray. Just curious what peoples experiences have been!

​

I'm a certified Galápagos National Park guide and I've lived on Isabela for more than 30 years.

✨Happy to answer questions about:

• Ferries to and from Isabela • Where to stay • Snorkeling spots • Sierra Negra Volcano • Los Túneles • Wildlife • Free Activities • Kids• Beaches • Logistics • What to do (and what to skip) Marine Iguanas etc.

English or Spanish is fine.

Saludos desde Isabela 🙃

I know variations of this question have been asked before, but with August now only about a month away, I'm hoping for some current perspectives.

I'm considering a last-minute Galápagos trip this August 2026 but haven't booked anything yet.

One factor I'm wondering about is how much the current El Niño conditions are affecting wildlife viewing, snorkeling conditions/visibility, and sea conditions.

Given that I haven't booked anything yet, would you recommend coming this August, or waiting a year or two for potentially different conditions? Why?

Many thanks!

Hi! I’m organizing a trip to the Galápagos, and I wanted to know whether it’s better to buy all the tours and ferry tickets online in advance, or on the islands a few days before. Thanks everyone!